Shop drawings (also known as fabrication drawings):
are detailed plans that translate design intent. They provide fabricators with the information necessary to manufacture, fabricate, assemble and install all the components of a structure.
In this project, we are the fabricators, manufacturers, and installers for every component our design. As we move towards the end of the week, we are pushing hard to finish our CD Set or Construction Drawings by Friday and we began creating shop drawings for every detail within the design on Wednesday. Now you may ask “What is the difference between construction drawings and shop drawings?”, well I’m here to tell you!
Construction drawings are drawings that depict the overall intent and outcome of the work taking place. These drawings are produced before any work on site takes place. They take into consideration the end usage of the structure, all of the features it should have, what it should look like (including estimated dimensions and appearance), and how it should perform as they take a closer look at the details.
As stated in the definition above, shop drawings provide more extensive and precise details in regards to the drawings from the CD Set. We then take those in depth drawings to a workshop where we cut, weld, assemble, and fasten the details together to make the design intent a reality.
When it is all said and done, both sets of drawings are essential to building a structure. These construction drawings may start on paper and require a substantial amount of shop drawings to be created, but they both lead us one step closer towards the end goal of a built structure.
-Until next time!